The Joel Building retains a piece of the past

The partners developing the Lofts at Joel, at 165 S. Post, in downtown Spokane, have told the previous owner they will take care to preserve some of the building's history.

They bought the building from the Ferris family, whose patriarch, Joel Ferris, gave the building the locally memorable title, the Joel Building. The original design for the three-story building was done by noted architect Kirtland Cutter.

This photo of the south exterior wall shows the sign that hung on the building for years, until the retailer shut its doors in 2005.

Developers Ron Wells, Bill Main and Bob Anderson told the Ferris family they'll place that Joel sign, complete with red apple inside, as a memento. They plan to install it to a wall in the basement garage.